The advise for increased physical activity is strongly linked to
overall healthy lifestyle recommendations because it affects energy balance and
the risk of lifestyle-related diseases. Over the past few years, many position
papers have set out the importance of moderate physical activity for good
health. These reports indicate that being physically active for at least 30
minutes daily reduces the risk of developing obesity, heart disease,
diabetes, hypertension and colon cancer, all of which are major
contributors to morbidity and mortality in Europe. In addition, in both children
and adults, physical activity is related to improvements in body flexibility,
aerobic endurance, agility and coordination, strengthening of bones and
muscles, lower body fat levels, blood fats, blood pressure and reduced risk of
hip fractures in women. Physical activity makes you feel better physically and
encourages a more positive mental outlook.
Increases in physical activity levels are needed in every age
group and recommendations are that adults be physically active for at least 30
minutes on most days of the week.
What groups are responsible for
promoting healthy lifestyles?
The responsibility for promoting healthy diets and increasing
levels of physical activity must involve the active participation of many
groups including governments, health professionals, the food industry, the
media and consumers. There is a shared responsibility to help promote healthy
diets that are low in fat, high in complex carbohydrates and that contain large
amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with regular amounts of physical
activity
Ultimately, it is consumers who choose which foods to eat and
their choices are influenced by a large number of factors such as quality,
price, taste, custom, availability, and convenience. Consumer education, the
development and implementation of food based dietary guidelines, nutrition
labelling, nutrition education in schools and increased opportunities for
physical activity can all help to improve the nutritional well-being of people.
What’s Important for Vegetarians and Vegans to
Eat?
·
Many people choose to exclude meat and other animal products from
their diet for a variety of reasons and to varying extents. Whatever the
reason, careful planning is needed to ensure
adequate nutrient intakes.
Avoiding deficiency
·
Vegetarianism’ encompasses a range of dietary patterns.
Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat dairy products and eggs, pesco-vegetarians (or
pescatarians) eat all seafood on top of the foods eaten by
lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and vegans do not eat any food of animal origin
(including honey). The more restricted the diet, the more care needs to be
taken to get all nutrients required by the body.In plant-based diets, several
key nutrients may be deficient, absent or poorly absorbed from the gut. These
include high quality protein, very long chain omega-3 fatty
acids (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)), iron,
zinc, calcium and vitamins D and B12.
·
In vegetarian and vegan diets, several key nutrients may
be deficient, absent or poorly absorbed from the gut. These include high
quality protein, very long chain omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid
(EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)), iron, zinc, calcium and vitamins D and B12.
· Intakes of these nutrients are usually adequate in pescatarian and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets. However, iron stores tend to be lower in vegetarians and vegans because the most readily absorbed form of iron, haem iron, is only found in meat, poultry and fish. Anaemia due to severe prolonged iron deficiency is no more common in vegetarians than non-vegetarians; children and pre-menopausal women are at greatest risk. Vegans may have low intakes of calcium, which, when combined with low intakes of protein and vitamin D, can adversely affect bone health. Another important nutrient to consider for vegetarians, and vegans is vitamin B12, as it is found only in animal-sourced foods. Deficiency of vitamin B12 during pregnancy can cause irreversible neurological damage to the foetus. Furthermore, it is also associated with high blood levels of homocysteine, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
· Fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel are rich sources of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are important for brain development, normal vision, heart health and certain other bodily functions. EPA can also be synthesised in sufficient quantities by the human body if the precursor alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is provided through diet. Valuable vegetarian sources of ALA are plant and seed oils, especially walnut and rapeseed oil. Synthesis of DHA from ALA, however, is much less efficient and supplementation may thus be required to meet bodily needs.
